Parker leads Spurs past Pacers

Feb 18, 2010 - 3:41 AM
By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- A bit of rest and relaxation in Malibu was all
a hobbled Tony Parker needed to start blowing by the competition
again.

Parker returned after missing San Antonio's final game before
the All-Star break because of a strained left hip flexor. Fresh
off a four-day vacation with wife Eva Longoria, he scored 28
points to help the Spurs beat the Indiana Pacers 90-87 on
Wednesday night.

"He didn't get to stay in shape, he hasn't been able to do
anything," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Considering that,
my God. He scored, he moved the basketball, he was really
important to us running the show."

Parker said he struggled at times during his 39 minutes of
action.

"I got tired in the second half and my hip was getting tired,"
Parker said. "We'll see what we do for the next game, but
overall I was OK. Can't do every movement, I can't go full
speed, but I'm a vet, so I know how to get by."

Tim Duncan had just eight points on 4-for-23 shooting, but had
26 rebounds and five assists. He had 10 rebounds in nine minutes
in the fourth quarter.

"That's why he's a Hall of Fame player," Pacers guard T.J. Ford
said. "I don't know too many guys in this league that can go
4-for-23 and still help his team win."

Duncan said it was possibly the worst shooting game of his
career, but he made up for it by "going Mo Malone on them." It
was a reference to Moses Malone, the powerful post player who
spent his best years with the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia
76ers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He joked that his futility padded his offensive rebounding
stats.

"I got a jump on it because I was missing so many shots," Duncan
said. "I guess I knew where the ball was going."

Parker said Duncan's effort was key.

"That is what's great with T.D. - even if he has a bad shooting
night he's always going to do other stuff," Parker said. "He was
huge on the boards, he was huge on defense. Even if he was not
blocking shots, he was deflecting shots. He's just a presence."

Manu Ginobili added 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds
for the Spurs.

"If you would have told me we would hold them to 35 percent
shooting, I would think we had a chance," Pacers coach Jim
O'Brien said.

Duncan's 11 offensive rebounds helped the Spurs take 16 more
shots than the Pacers.

"We played hard," Granger said. "We got our hands on a lot of
balls. We just got killed on the offensive boards. That's kind
of been the tale of our season."

Popovich switched up his lineup, starting Keith Bogans and Matt
Bonner instead of Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to counter
Indiana's small lineup.

San Antonio led 51-45 at halftime before getting hot in the
third quarter. A free-throw line jumper by Duncan closed out a
7-0 run that gave the Spurs a 64-50 lead.

Indiana rallied at the end of the third quarter. Two free throws
by Hibbert capped an 11-3 run at the end of the period that
trimmed San Antonio's lead to 69-67.

Indiana took its first lead of the second half early in the
fourth quarter on Ford's short jumper in the lane.

The lead seesawed until the final minutes. Richard Jefferson hit
a 3-pointer, then Ginobili converted a 3-point play to give San
Antonio a 90-84 advantage.

Granger made a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to make it 90-87.

The crowd stood, hoping the Pacers could get a stop. Ginobili
drove, but Hibbert blocked his shot. Duncan rebounded and kicked
the ball out to George Hill, who heaved a desperation 3-pointer
as the shot clock expired. The ball was tipped around until the
Spurs gained control and ran out the clock.

"That last play of the game was almost picture perfect for
them," Murphy said. "This isn't the way we would have liked it
to end tonight."

NOTES: Pacers F Tyler Hansbrough still is out with an inner ear
infection. He has missed the past month. ... Hill, an
Indianapolis native who started for the Spurs, finished with six
points and four rebounds ... Spurs F DeJuan Blair committed five
fouls in 10 minutes of play.